Maternis
by Ronin-Masaki
Summary: Shinji finds that the world has changed after being trapped inside the twelfth Angel
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes:  
  
Gainax, not me, owns Neon Genesis Evangelion. They make the money, not me. They own the characters, settings and storyline, not me. Consequently, if you believe that you created the series and, while reading this, decide to sue someone for stealing it, sue them, not me.  
  
I have no idea what this will be rated, so tough. I'll figure it out later.  
  
This takes place around the end of the attack of the twelfth Angel, with a twist on the events. I guess you'll understand as you read. With that, I leave you to the story.  
  
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*...So...cold...*  
  
Shinji shivered as he huddled in the darkened cockpit of Unit-01, his mind clearing slightly as consciousness slowly retook him. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious; just that it had been some time, as indicated by the small, slowly growing clumps in the LCL. He figured that there was not much time left for him; he could already feel the numbing bite of lack of oxygen in his lungs. He shook his head and wriggled slightly in his seat, trying to find a bit of comfort.  
  
*My plugsuit...it's too tight...squeezing me...*  
  
Shinji pressed the button on the right wrist of his plugsuit, sighing softly as the suit slackened from his body to let in a rush of LCL to chill him further.  
  
*This doesn't seem right.it's not supposed to be this cold.*  
  
He shuddered from the icy jolts running up and down his spine, now fully awakened.  
  
*Not much time left, I guess.*  
  
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"Colonel! We're picking up a Pattern Blue 100 km south of Tokyo-3 and closing. Visual reports confirming that it's."  
  
Misato turned to face Lieutenant Ibuki, an eerie sort of calm extended on her face. Maya gulped lightly, unused to delivering this kind of news after so long.  
  
"It's an Angel, Major.It's the twelfth."  
  
Misato drew a breath deliberately, the full meaning of the news sinking in deeply. She remembered distinctly what happened the last time the twelfth Angel had been spotted; NERV's failed attack still burned fresh in her memory.  
  
"Very well. Notify the First and Second Children, and get them here as soon as possible. Hopefully, they won't mind going in cold, but it doesn't seem like they have much choice. What is the ETA of the twelfth Angel?"  
  
"MAGI calculations report that it should be within the next 3 hours. For some reason, it's taking a circuitous path around the city."  
  
"Perhaps it figures that it may slow our reaction time for a counteroffensive. At any rate, we need Rei and Asuka here now."  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
Maya saluted briefly before rushing off, leaving the colonel with her head in her hands, alone with her thoughts. *I won't fail you again, Shinji.*  
  
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Seconds dragged into minutes inside Unit-01, as its pilot sat huddled in the plug, fighting to stay awake. He rubbed his arms as vigorously as he could, trying to draw out any warmth that he could. Then suddenly, the LCL in the plug started warming up. Shinji stretched out a bit as the LCL grew warmer and warmer, eventually returning back to regular temperature. He breathed a small sigh of relief, still rubbing his arms, but not nearly as quickly as before.  
  
*Well, that's one problem solved. Now if I could just get out of here...*  
  
Shinji snapped to full attention as the Eva shuddered heavily all around him. Monitors sprang to life as the cockpit lit up around him. A small stirring crept into the corners of his mind as Unit-01 stirred underneath him.  
  
*"Hello Shinji. It's good to see you're awake again. How are you feeling?"*  
  
Shinji looked all over the plug for the source of the voice in his mind, anxiety mixed with a twinge of fear etched on his face.  
  
*"You don't remember me, my little Shin-chan? Oh, it's okay, I guess. I know I don't look the way you remember me. Are you okay?"*  
  
*Who are you?*  
  
Images of Shinji's past fluttered through his mind, of Eva piloting, of Rei and his mother in turn, the voice echoing just too faintly to understand. First Eva, then Rei, and then his mother. Eva, Rei, his mother...  
  
*...Okaa-san?!*  
  
*"Yes, Shin-chan. It's me."*  
  
*But how...?*  
  
*"I'll explain it later, Shinji. Right now, we need to get out of here. You won't last too much longer in here."*  
  
Shinji felt another shudder as Unit-01 swung at what appeared to be the void that made up the inside of the twelfth Angel, answered by a sharp resistance and an unholy howl of rage and pain.  
  
*"Shinji! I need your help with this. You have to add your will to me for this to work."*  
  
*Yes, okaa-san. I'll help you.*  
  
Shinji's expression changed from nervous unease to that of intense focus. The LCL heated a bit as Unit-01 swung again, this time stretching the space further, the howls of pain growing louder.  
  
*"Good, Shinji! It's working!"*  
  
Unit-01 continued swiping, fists slowly becoming claws as Shinji scraped at the inside of the twelfth Angel. The sheer brilliant white slowly gave way to red as Angel's blood flowed from the scrapes inflicted from the inside. Unit-01 tore away at the wall more and more swiftly, as Shinji fought to keep his mind sharp enough to break free. Blood flowed faster and faster, rivulets becoming gushes, then torrents. Finally, after a few more scrapes, the twelfth Angel broke open, its sides snapping back and tearing further from the hole made, until nothing remained of the Angel except for Unit-01 and a great deal of blood, much of it coating the Eva.  
  
*We did it, kaa-san! We're free!*  
  
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"Colonel! Update on the twelfth Angel!"  
  
Maya handed Misato a readout from the MAGI supercomputer. Misato scanned it, her eyes widening slightly at the news.  
  
"How recent is this?"  
  
"Within the last minute."  
  
Misato reached for her cell phone. The commander had to know about this development.  
  
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"...Are you sure about this, Colonel?"  
  
Gendo Ikari sat at his office desk, hands folded in front of his face as he conferred with Major Katsuragi over the speakerphone.  
  
"Positive, Commander. MAGI reports with a 99.65% probability that the Angel has...self-destructed, but it's been replaced...by what looks like Unit-01."  
  
"What do the calculations state about the chances of the Angel taking over Unit-01 while it was within?"  
  
"We're still waiting for the calculations for that, but so far it hasn't moved. Should we send out an extraction team?"  
  
"...No, send out Units 00 and 02 to contain it until the calculations come in... If they come back with a greater than 10% probability, have them neutralize it."  
  
"But sir...!"  
  
"We cannot allow for the chance of that thing reactivating and destroying Tokyo-3. Better to neutralize it now than let it have an opening to attack. You have your orders, Colonel."  
  
"...."  
  
"I have yet to hear, 'Yes, sir'."  
  
"...Yes, Commander."  
  
Gendo Ikari steepled his fingers as his expression turned to extreme thought. He knew completely the importance of Unit-01 in his plans, which he had all but discarded until mere moments ago. However, if the Eva had been contaminated, it would prove better to destroy it than to risk the destruction of the Geofront. *Besides,* Gendo thought to himself, *There might be a chance to salvage the core. My plans may yet prove fruitful.*  
  
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*I can't believe it's you, okaa-san...I thought you died...*  
  
Shinji smiled as he sat in the plug, Unit-01's LCL filters working to replenish the air concentration within it. Shinji leaned forward as he waited for an answer that didn't come.  
  
*...Okaa-san? Okaa-san, are you there?*  
  
Shinji waited for an answer, fear filling his heart and his face again, as the brief idea that his entire conversation with his mother had been imagined danced around in his mind. Then he heard:  
  
*"I'm here, Shin-chan..."*  
  
*Okaa-san, you're fading...*  
  
*"The Eva's low on power...makes it hard for me to talk to you..."*  
  
*Okaa-san...how did this happen?*  
  
*"..."*  
  
*Okaa-san?*  
  
*"I'll tell you when the time is right, Shinji, but not now."*  
  
*But why? I don't underst--*  
  
Just then, Unit-01 shuddered as a few of the monitors shut down, darkening the plug. Shinji concentrated as hard as he could despite the shuddering, but all he could hear is silence in the plug. Then, a static- laden comm line sheared through the plug.  
  
"Bzzzzzzzzzzz... Are you sure about this, Misato? This seems-- Bzzzzzzzzzz"  
  
"We've been given our orders...MAGI's given--Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...Chance of it being a part of the twelfth Angel...Orders are to-- Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You heard me...send it to hell."  
  
*What? They're going to destroy me?!*  
  
Shinji's mind raced as Unit-01 shuddered and reeled from the punishment it was now taking. *They're going to destroy me...no, US! Okaa- san...*  
  
Shinji concentrated hard, trying to get the Eva to respond, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing. The monitors slowly dulled as what little power there was left slowly drained, much to Shinji's dismay. He curled up into as small a ball as he could, the shuddering growing stronger as the onslaught continued. He counted himself lucky for one thing; that since Unit-01 was this low on power, at least he wouldn't feel the feedback from the blows he was taking.  
  
*It's probably Asuka coming in close, with Ayanami covering her, to make sure I'm not getting free...But why are they attacking me? Why is Misato letting this happen? Why am I to be destroyed...Why is Asuka hitting me?*  
  
In one final, desperate act, Shinji yelled out into his plug, "DAMNIT, ASUKA, WHY ARE YOU HITTING ME?!"  
  
Just as suddenly as the shuddering started, it stopped. Silence reigned as Shinji waited for the abyss. Then, another staticky transmission:  
  
"Sh... Shinji?...Bzzzzzzzzzz...Shinji, is that...is that you?"  
  
Shinji looked up at the nearly blank monitor and nodded. "Yes, it's me," he stated as he started to uncurl, exhaustion ready to overtake his taxed consciousness. "Now, please let me out of here."  
  
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End Chapter 1  
  
Author's Notes (again): Okay, now I need a drink. (deep sigh) I've been trying to clean this up best I can for too long.let me know how I did. The second chapter should be done.when I feel good and ready to do it. I know I'm probably off on some things, so respond. That is not a request, that is an order. Oh well. 


	2. Chapter 2

Maternis  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Author's Notes: Sorry for the extended wait for this, but...well, I'm lazy. Deal. Once again, Gainax owns Neon Genesis Evangelion, not me, and it goes without saying, the intellectual properties thereof also belong to Gainax. (They turned down my offer to buy it for $20 and my car...bastards.)  
  
Anyway, enough yappin'... On with the story!  
  
*....I hate this ceiling....*  
  
Shinji awoke in the infirmary, rising lethargically as he took a look around. He lifted a hand to his head, rubbing it softly, when he heard a soft, almost whisper-like voice.  
  
"You're awake."  
  
Shinji jumped slightly as his eyes jumped to the source, which presented itself as Rei stepped forward from the corner she had been inhabiting, staring at him intensely. How long have I been asleep? Shinji thought to himself as he finally saw her, his eyes widening. To say puberty had been kind to Rei Ayanami would have been an understatement; to say that it had been unfair in her favor would be closer to the truth. Her once petite frame had filled out nicely, her once slight, yet graceful curves becoming extremely noticeable thanks to her transformation from girl to woman. Add to the fact that she remained dressed in her plugsuit, amplifying the young Ikari's notice.  
  
"Ayanami?" Shinji asked, his voice unsteady. "How long have I been asleep?"  
  
Rei approached him closer, standing just beside his bed. "You have been asleep for 36 hours. You were hospitalized due to LCL contaminant poisoning. However, you seem to have recovered." Rei examined him closely, a touch of a smile gracing her lips.  
  
"36 hours?! That can't be!" Shinji exclaimed with a wince, his words coming out rough. "I can't have been asleep for only that long...you look-- " Shinji halted himself, blushing lightly. "You....didn't look like that when I got into Eva..."  
  
"What do you remember?" Ayanami asked quietly as she sat down in the chair beside his bed.  
  
"I remember being pulled into the Angel...and it was all white inside...." Shinji began, a cold shiver running through his spine as the fragments that served as his memories returned to him. "I fell asleep in the plug and when I woke up....I heard..." Shinji trailed off, not knowing if he should tell Rei about his talk with his mother. "I broke out of the Angel, then you two began to attack me. That's all."  
  
Rei nodded slowly as she listened to Shinji, then as he finished, rose from her seat. brandishing a small handheld mirror, which she pressed into his hand. "I was instructed to give you this when you awoke," she said softly.  
  
Shinji, unsure of what she meant, as well as why she would give him a mirror, lifted it slowly, when he saw his reflection. His eyes widened at what he saw. Gone was his own reflection, the one he remembered from before. The boy he recognized had gone, replaced by the reflection of a man. The only thing that remained, that he saw, were his dark cobalt eyes. Gone were the soft contours of his face, replaced by hardened angles. The thing he noticed most of all, however, had been his hair. When he stepped into the entry plug, he had a mess of dark brown hair that hung haphazardly on his head, but now, as he ran a hand through it in shock, he had seen that it was now longer, the strands hanging almost down to his shoulders, and what had once been dark brown was now dark blue. He looked back to Rei with a shocked, questioning expression that almost pleaded for answers.  
  
"You have been...gone...for almost 7 years. When Unit 01 was taken by the Twelfth Angel, it...disappeared. We thought initially that the Angel had merely come to take Unit 01, weakening NERV's offensive power, but we were mistaken. When the Angel reappeared, the Second Child and I were scrambled to deal with the Angel when you broke through it."  
  
Rei gazed for a moment at the young Ikari, who had been gazing in shock and disbelief at himself, then headed for the door. "I will notify the Colonel and the Second Child that you are awake," Rei said as she reached for the door.  
  
"Ayanami?" Shinji called out, his attention turning to her and the door as he turned to her. Rei turned from the door to face him.  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"It's...it's good to see you again, Ayanami."  
  
Rei blushed and smiled lightly, the sight warming Shinji for a moment as well.  
  
"It is good to see you as well, Pilot Ikari...You were missed while you were away," Rei replied as she exited without another word. Shinji sighed as he pulled the covers off his chest, noting that at least this time, the staff in the infirmary dressed him in a robe. The last time he spoke with Ayanami in the infirmary, right before their combined efforts against the Fifth Angel, he had not been so fortunate. He didn't have long to ponder this, however, as seconds later, a split second after he heard the door open, he found himself being squeezed firmly, a familiar voice sobbing heavily as she latched onto him as if afraid the second she'd let go he'd disappear again.  
  
"Shinji-kun...my Shinji-kun..." Misato managed to choke out between her numerous sobs.  
  
"Let him go, Misato, before you suffocate him."  
  
Shinji gasped for breath slightly as Misato reluctantly loosened her grip, tears still in her eyes and smiling brightly. "Welcome back, Shinji- kun," Misato managed, sniffling slightly.  
  
Shinji took a look at the two visitors, one of whom he recognized automatically. Misato hadn't changed much in the time he was gone; in fact, had no one told him that he had been gone for seven years, he'd swear that she hadn't changed a bit. Looking closer, though, showed that time had taken its toll, if not on her body then at least on her soul, as he saw in her eyes that she had gone through her share of pain.  
  
He smiled lightly and replied with, "Good to be back, Misato-san."  
  
Turning his attention to the other visitor, he only had to look a second to realize who exactly it was. The flaming red hair along with the plugsuit and A-10 connectors gave it away, though the body underneath it, with little left to the imagination thanks to the suit, told that like Rei, she was no mere girl anymore.  
  
"Asuka...it's good to see you."  
  
Asuka approached him aggressively, her expression upset, but not wrought of the full anger Shinji had come to expect like before.  
  
"You do something stupid like that again, Third Child, and it'll take Section 2 to find your body, you understand, baka?!" Asuka threatened, making it blatantly apparent that she meant every word. Shinji knew exactly how to respond to a threat like this from Asuka: nod silently and hope she doesn't try to gut him with her bare hands.  
  
"Good..." she replied, then reached down and hugged him, surprising the young man as well as, to a lesser extent, Misato. "Now, hurry up and get dressed so we can go home and you can make us dinner, and it had better be good, baka!" Asuka exclaimed with her threatening tone.  
  
"There's no way my Shinji-kun's cooking dinner the first night he's back, Asuka...this calls for a celebration!" Misato exclaimed happily. "Doesn't that sound good, Shinji-kun?"  
  
"Ummm...okay, Misato-san..." Shinji replied meekly, his thoughts wandering. "But....err...what will I wear?"  
  
"What do you mean, 'what will you wear', baka?! You still have your.....oh..." Asuka trailed off, the realization hitting her that the clothes he wore before had no chance of fitting the young man now.  
  
"Don't worry about that, let me handle it," Misato said as she pulled out her cell phone. "...Makoto? It's me...Uh huh, he just woke up...Yeah...Listen...Did you happen to bring a change of clothes with you?...Yeah, it's for him...I know...I know...Yes, I understand, but it'd be a huge favor for me...Please?" Shinji just watched Misato as she negotiated over the phone. "Thanks, Makoto, I owe you big...We're having a welcome home party tomorrow night, be sure to tell everyone else...Okay, bye!" Misato hung up and returned her gaze to Shinji. "We'll have something for you here in five minutes."  
  
"Thanks, Misato-san." He smiled lightly, until he saw the look forming on her face. Shinji knew that look; that look meant that either he or Asuka were about to be teased. He hoped it would be him...when Asuka got teased, he usually got slapped, or pulled into the middle of an argument. Embarrassment he could take, but pain was a deeper issue. *Please be me, please be me...*  
  
"Well well, Asuka...You planning on making a nest there, or what?" Misato asked teasingly, startling both Children as they realized that Asuka, after initiating her hug, hadn't let go of Shinji, her head still resting against his chest. She jumped away from him in an instant, her face livid with anger, aimed straight at Misato. One thought flashed through Shinji's mind: *Damnit.*  
  
"It's not like that!"  
  
"Hey, no need to explain...I know how huggable my Shinji-kun is."  
  
"YOUR Shinji-kun?! You're talking like you two are dating or something."  
  
"Well, I haven't asked yet or anything...but it WOULD be legal, and even you have to admit, he IS pretty cute..."  
  
"What?! You can't be serious! You're old enough to be his mother!"  
  
Misato's teasing expression vanished at the mention of the age difference. "Are you insinuating that I'm old?!" she exclaimed angrily, glaring at the redheaded pilot.  
  
"Not insinuating, Misato, FLAT-OUT TELLING YOU! Why the hell would even that baka want an old woman like YOU?!" Asuka asked vehemently, her expression turning into something of triumph at the wound she inflicted on her opponent.  
  
"Don't even start with that, Second Child," Misato spat out bitterly as she puffed her chest out, much to Shinji's embarrassment and surprise. "I may not be a little girl like you anymore, but I've still got the touch."  
  
"LITTLE GIRL?!" Asuka exclaimed, puffing out her chest as if to compare assets with the now-Colonel, further discomforting the young man watching the entire fight unfold. "Who the hell do you think you are, calling me a little girl?! Maybe in your advanced age you can't see too well, but I'm a woman now, Misato!!"  
  
The argument would have gone on further, had Asuka not noticed something from the corner of her eye: Shinji with his hand at his nose, trying his best to be discreet about checking for a blood trickle. Her face flushed lightly for a split-second before she let out a howl of rage.  
  
"BAKA HENTAI!!!" she cried out as she wound back and gave the young Ikari a hard slap, the sound produced cracking through the room and the adjacent hall like a pistol shot.  
  
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Makoto Hyuga, meanwhile, had just reached the infirmary with a duffel bag full of clothes. He brought them to change out of when his shift was over. However, thanks to that call from Misato, who Makoto still couldn't say no to if he could help it, it looked like he was wearing his uniform home. He had turned the corner to the hall Shinji had been assigned to when he heard the loud crack echo along the hall, alerting him to two possibilities: Either Section 2 had been sent in to "neutralize" someone, or the Second Child was mad. Both possibilities made Hyuga shudder.  
  
*That poor bastard,* Makoto thought to himself as he continued down the hall.  
  
END CHAPTER 2  
  
____________________________________  
  
OMAKE:  
  
"You're awake."  
  
Shinji jumped slightly as his eyes jumped to the source, which presented itself as Rei stepped forward from the corner she had been inhabiting, staring at him intensely. How long have I been asleep? Shinji thought to himself as he finally saw her, his eyes widening. To say puberty had been kind to Rei Ayanami would have been an understatement; to say that it had been unfair in her favor would be closer to the truth. Her once petite frame had filled out nicely, her once slight, yet graceful curves becoming extremely noticeable thanks to her transformation from girl to woman. Add to the fact that she remained dressed in her plugsuit, amplifying the young Ikari's notice. Shinji's eyes glazed over as a line of drool escaped his mouth.  
  
"Ikari-kun?" Rei asked, the slightest quiver in her voice as she felt his gaze on her. Shinji grinned stupidly, his eyes still glazed over as he pointed to her.  
  
"You, me, this bed, NOW!" the young man demanded as he threw the blankets off him and jumped to his feet, revealing the fact that once again, the infirmary staff had forgotten to clothe the young Ikari. Rei gazed at the young man nervously as he approached her, a predatory grin on his face as one thought raced through her mind:  
  
*I must run away.*  
  
Just outside, Misato and Asuka waited for news when the door flung open with Rei racing out of the room, running for dear life, followed closely by a buck naked Shinji. Neither woman said a word as what just transpired processed. Asuka's face contorted into rage, as Misato's playful grin emerged.  
  
"Well, at least we know he's up," Misato said playfully. Asuka would have none of that, however, as she charged after them both, screaming at the top of her lungs.  
  
"YOU HENTAI!!!"  
  
Author's notes (again): Sorry to have left this for so long...wait, I covered this...I'm lazy...that's right...Anyway, before you ask why I was so generous with Rei's adult dimensions when Yui Ikari, who Rei is modeled after, wasn't that impressively stacked, I have this to say: it was Lilith's influence, now leave me alone. ^_^ And as for why his hair is blue...I'll explain, I swear! Now put down the crowbar...slowly... Okay, plan on seeing another chapter on this, sooner or later. (My money's on later.) 


	3. Chapter 3

Maternis  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Author's Notes: Well, seems I'm back earlier than I thought I'd be...Damnit, and I was betting this chapter would come later instead of sooner...*grumbles heavily as he passes a $10 bill to his bookie* Oh well...started doing update work, and the ideas, they came a-pourin' in, thus explaining why I'm back...and I'm rambling. I don't own Evangelion, Gainax does, though I wish Zentrodie owned it...series'd kick ass if they ran it the way he runs his MSTs. Oh, and I don't own Zentrodie, either...otherwise, he'd have MST'd my series by now. Maybe I should e-mail him and ask... And I'm rambling again. I'll let you get to the story while I pop a couple of Ritalin now.  
  
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"So the Third Child remembers nothing of the incident?"  
  
"That's correct, Commander. In fact, according to the MAGI's results of our scans, he hasn't aged a day mentally," Dr. Akagi replied coolly. Commander Ikari's expression remained as unreadable as he digested the information, gazing through the printed copy in the folder that constituted her report, now open on his desk.  
  
"But you say he has aged physically?" Subcommander Fuyutsuki queried, looking toward the doctor. "How could that be possible without the mind knowing?"  
  
"By what we've been able to piece together," Ritsuko explained, "the entry plug, upon being placed into life-support mode, increased the LCL pressure within the plug while at the same time dropping the temperature. In effect, the plug sent Pilot Ikari into a period of hibernation. As for the physical maturation, it seems that somehow, the Third Child managed to sustain himself through LCL absorption, much like with the clones. This would explain the change in hair color."  
  
"But how could Unit-01 generate the power to sustain the pilot for seven years and have enough to break through the Angel like that? The internal battery couldn't possibly accomodate that much drain for that long. Is there any evidence of the S2 Engine engaging?"  
  
"Irrelevant," the commander stated simply, silencing the discussion. "How will this affect his ability to pilot?" Dr. Akagi bristled slightly at the question, her eyes narrowing to slits. *Of course,* Ritsuko thought to herself. *It always comes back to that.*  
  
"If anything, the incident should most likely improve his ability, having been acclimated to those surroundings for so long. Just in case, though, I've scheduled a series of synchronization tests as soon as possible."  
  
"Good. We can ill afford another lost pilot, like the incidents regarding the Fourth Child. Bring the First and Second Children in as well; it is nearly time for their tests anyway, and it would benefit us to measure how the Third's return affects them." With that, the commander turned his gaze toward the doctor, his fingers laced before him. "You are dismissed." Ritsuko exited the office silently, leaving the two older men to discuss among themselves.  
  
"You know what I will ask. Do our recent plans remain?" Fuyutsuki remarked as he peered inquisitively at Gendo Ikari, trying to discern something from the man's demeanor.  
  
"It appears not, professor," Gendo remarked as he tilted his head toward his older associate. "We do have the key instrument again. How go the efforts to recreate the Lance of Longinus?"  
  
Fuyutsuki shook his head and replied, "We've had no luck beyond recreating the basic design. Without the actual Lance to copy from, it appears matters will remain the same, and at last report from almost a year ago, the Lance should be almost outside our solar system by now."  
  
Fuyutsuki stepped forward to face him fully, his face taking on more and more of a pleading expression. "I know I've told you this before, but I think you need to hear it again. The scenario failed, Gendo. Even SEELE gave up their plans when they received reports of the third copy's self- destruction along with Adam. We do not have the tools to bring about Instrumentality, even if we do possess Unit-01 again. These same efforts nearly resulted in our premature deaths last time."  
  
Fuyutsuki took a deep breath as he continued. "You will not be able to reunite with Yui, and you will only drive yourself mad with your efforts. Just let this go."  
  
Commander Ikari glared at his second-in-command and co-conspirator with a furious twinge behind his stony expression, before pushing his tinted glasses back up his nose. "The scenario has been reinstated, and it will go as planned as soon as necessary provisions are dealt with. The fact that those old fools have given up on Instrumentality only encourages my plans. All that means is that they will not interfere."  
  
With that, the commander returned his gaze to his desk, his usual cold demeanor now in place fully. "You have served me well, Kozo, and I am grateful, but I will not tolerate interference in the scenario, even from you." Commander Ikari rose from his desk, and turning to leave, stated simply, "Remember, you above all are replaceable."  
  
Kozo Fuyutsuki watched him go, bowing his head as the door clicked shut. Kozo held no illusions about the vaporous rumors of Gendo's sanity, or more accurately, his lack thereof, even back during the thick of the Angel Wars. But back then, Kozo knew that Gendo's madness had always been deeply rooted within a carefully thought-out method. In recent years, however, Kozo found the method dwindling more and more, while the madness only amplified itself. *All one would need for proof,* Kozo thought to himself, *is to see how far he's let himself go.*  
  
Gendo Ikari's appearance had never been truly neat, but before his perceived slip further into insanity, he had at least maintained his appearance to a necessary degree. Now his slightly-haphazard look held another, more tangible haggardness to it. Add to it the fact that age had not been kind for the elder Ikari, and those who didn't know the Commander would see a grizzly old man, and hardly anyone would see within him the commander of one of the most powerful organizations on Earth.  
  
Kozo breathed a sigh as his gaze turned to the Tree of Sephiroth painted on the nearby wall. *I just hope he abandons his folly before he proves the death of all of us.*  
  
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Shinji breathed a sigh as he stood near the entrance of the department store impatiently, the numerous bags of clothes weighing down his arms. Asuka and Misato had taken him through every department store there, savagely tearing through the racks and shelves without mercy. Needless to say, the expedition hadn't been very fun for the young Ikari, who not only had been designated to carry everything that they had purchased, (*with HIS account card,* he thought with distaste), but who had also been sent into the dressing room every so often to model a particular look that either one or both would pick out. Not only that, but they enlisted help in the form of the department store clerks. He had been uncomfortably self-conscious enough when they would gaze at him intensely in trying to figure the best colors and textures to drape on him. However, it wouldn't stop there. They would parade him around the store as he tried on different outfits as they attempted to find the best look for him, they would tousle his hair to try and get it to match his ensemble, and they would tug and poke at him as they made minute adjustments. One pair even went so far as to take his measurements, which got him slapped again when Asuka brought him an outfit just as one of the young clerks, a bubbly teenaged girl with a bad case of giggles, was measuring his inseam.  
  
Nonetheless, after hours within that particular shrine to commercialism, they had taken what they needed, supplying Shinji with all he would want or need, and had come to the last store. No others remained untouched; Asuka and Misato had picked clean all they wanted from the others. However, this did nothing to lessen the tension pervading the young man; in fact, said tension only seemed to amplify, as the shop they were currently patronizing only sold one type of garment, and it did nothing to ease his mind that it was currently the one garment he was missing.  
  
Shinji kept his head bowed low, a detectable blush evident on his face as he picked out a few packages of plain boxers. Taking them to the counter silently, he had even been unable to meet the clerk's gaze.  
  
"Let's see...that's three six-pack of boxers....Ooh, silk...very nice!" the clerk exclaimed, a slight grin on his lips. "Let me guess...a bachelor?" Shinji blushed further as his head bowed lower, much to the clerk's delight. "Ah...I knew it. I bet you have to beat them off with a stick, though..." Shinji mumbled something unintelligible as he slid his account card over to the clerk.  
  
"It's okay...no need to be ashamed, Mr...." the clerk said, pausing slightly to read the name from the card. "Shinji Ikari...at least you're better off than the guys who pretend they are, but aren't..." The clerk grins as he brushes a bit of gray hair out of his eyes. "There's this one guy about your age, comes in here and buys those eight-packs of camouflage briefs, I swear...he thinks he's God's gift or something..."  
  
Shinji can't help but smile slightly as the clerk runs the account card, the laughing red eyes still full of good cheer. Finally, the card runs and the receipt prints out, which Shinji signs. "Thank you very much, and I hope to see you again, Ikari-san."  
  
Shinji maintained his weak smile. "Thank you very much as well," Shinji replied as he stuffed the packages into one of the bags he carried. Leaving the store, he approached an arrangement of benches with his bags, sitting down near the Second Child, who currently lay stretched out on one.  
  
"Finally!" Asuka exclaimed as she sat up. "I was wondering when you were going to finish up in there."  
  
"You didn't have to come, you know," Shinji said with a touch of annoyance in his voice. "I could have handled clothes shopping by myself."  
  
Asuka swelled slightly as she fumed. "You could show some gratitude, Third Child," she retorted with a bit of venom to her voice. "I mean, I did help you pick things out, so you won't be a COMPLETE fashion reject. If you'd went on your own, you'd have gotten four or five changes of the same thing and that's it. You're almost as bad as Wondergirl." Asuka crossed her arms with an audible humph and continued. "And there was no way in HELL I was going to leave you alone while you went shopping with Misato...God only knows what kind of perverted outfits you'd end up with."  
  
Upon mention of his guardian's name, Shinji took a quick look around. "Speaking of which, where is she?" He received his answer a few seconds later, as the woman exited the same store the young Ikari had just left, clutching what looked like a tube, no larger than a microphone. Misato smiled as she approached, when Shinji noticed the tube in her hand.  
  
"M-Misato, what are those?" he asked trepidantly, as Misato slipped the tube into one of his many bags.  
  
"Bikini briefs, Shinji," Misato replied in a laid-back manner.  
  
Noting Asuka's mounting temper, and hoping to extinguish it before it got too terribly out of hand, he asked, "Th-those aren't for me, are they?"  
  
Misato grinned and replied, "No, Shinji...they're for me...but they will need to be modeled..." She winked at the young man, which only served to fluster him further as well as further anger the redhaired young girl beside them. Shinji stiffened and blushed deep crimson, barely hearing as Asuka initiated her latest argument with the Colonel (despite the fact that the rest of the mall did) with her scream of, "YOU SHAMELESS HUSSY!!"  
  
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Author's Notes (again): Well, this one's been an uphill battle to get out. Oh well, for now, I'm pleased. This chapter might be updated soon, in order to be retooled, but it should remain something like it is now. Any comments and criticisms are welcome...even flames, which, unlike sticks and stones, will never hurt me. ^_^ As for MSTs....well, if you want, let me know, and let me see a sample of the work. Who knows, could be a kick. Anyway, I don't foresee a new chapter on this story anytime soon (and this time, I mean it!) but I may do a chapter or two on one of my other stories. Who knows, might start yet another series! Until then, later. 


	4. Chapter 4

Maternis

Chapter 4- Aftermath....Oh, and the penguin's in here!

by Ronin-Masaki

Author's Futile Attempt to Save His Ass: Gainax owns Neon Genesis Evangelion and all the characters therein, not I. Hell, I can't even afford the price to own Gendo, and he's the one everyone hates.

I finally finished the chapter, more or less. I'm not sure if I want to add one more scene, but I'm pretty sure whoever still reads this swill's getting sick and tired of me stalling, so here we go.

Been a while since I wrote something new, and some would say too long...well...tough shit. I'm lazy. You knew this coming into the situation, so deal. Let's hope I remember how to do this. So, let's jump right in, lest I start rambling again, and proceed to the story.

It had been an exhaustive day for Shinji Ikari. After his foray into clothes shopping with his roommates, which he, like most young men who have endured such an ordeal, considered himself lucky to survive, he had been dropped off at the apartment on his own, as Misato and Asuka both had "other matters to attend to". He approached the door slowly, partly because of the numerous bags he had to carry, and opened it to find the inside of the apartment, which, to the fastidious boy, appeared something of a train wreck.

Closing the door behind him, he trudged his heavy load to where he remembered his room to be, seeing the painted sign of Shinji's Lovely Suite still on the door. Sliding the door open, he found that, unlike outside it, where empty Yebisu cans and instant-food wrappings littered the floor, his room had been untouched, the dusty, almost stagnant air the only indication to the young Ikari that time had passed outside the room since he last left it. He dropped the bags near his bed as he gazed around the room, the realization of just how long he had been gone starting to sink in. His SDAT still lay on the bed; picking it up, Shinji found that the battery had died out since. _I'll have to replace that_, he thought to himself as he rested the device back to its former spot. He then spotted his mother's cello, still perched in the corner. He gathered it in his hands, noticing with disdain that a thick layer of dust now coated it, and would have to be cleaned before he played anything on it again.

He left his room quietly, remembering the mess outside, and made his way to the kitchen for garbage bags, which he would undoubtedly need in order to make a dent in the mess that was the rest of the apartment. As he retrieved the bags from their resting place beside the sink (_Where they were before_, he noticed), he heard a pattering sound behind him, and turned to meet once more the fourth unofficial member of their household.

Pen-Pen had been about 3 years old when Misato rescued him from the lab, some ten years ago. As an elderly penguin, his once-black outer coating of feathers had grayed over the years, and he didn't move around as easily as he once did. He also noticed he couldn't hold his liquor as well as he used to, but damned if he would admit that; if nothing else, his drinking contests with the beer provider showed that. However, he did notice that more and more often, he found himself losing to her by greater and greater margins. He had just started to shake off his latest hangover as he waddled from his freezer "room" for something that resembled sustenance when he encountered the blue-haired stranger before him. Pen-Pen and the stranger locked eyes for a second as the bird sized him up. _He doesn't SEEM like a threat_, Pen-Pen thought to himself as he noticed the young man's slightly-hunched over posture, his light, if somewhat tired, disposition, and the look in the cobalt eyes of his...

_Wait a second... _the warm-water penguin thought to himself. _This guy looks...familiar...hmmm, only one way to find out._ And with that, Pen-Pen waddled closer to the stranger, giving the young man a solid "Wark".

Shinji smiled at the aging warm-water penguin as he headed toward the fridge to get out some fish, thawing it out some before beginning to prepare the bird's meal. As he cooked the fish, he noticed that throughout the entire course of preparation, the bird's gaze never left him, as if watching for something to happen. Finally, the fish had been cooked, a bit rare, as was Pen-Pen's tastes, then set it down in the bird's dish before him, along with an opened can of Yebisu to wash it down.

Pen-Pen gazed critically at the boy, then the meal he prepared for him. He sniffed lightly at it, as would a fine connoisseur, then took a bite. The bird's eyes widened as he tasted the fish, knowing only one person who made it like that. _It IS him... _Pen-Pen thought. _The timid food provider has come back!_ With that, the penguin waddled toward him, faster than he had moved in years, until he reached the boy's leg, hugging it with his flippers.

"Wark wark wark wark wark wark? Wark wark wark wark wark wark wark wark wark?!" the bird squawked as he held onto the boy's leg for dear life. (Translation: "Where the hell have you been all this time? Do you have ANY idea what the beer provider's made me EAT since you've been gone?!")

Shinji grinned lightly and ran his fingers through the light, downy feathers on the penguin's head. "I know," the boy said as the penguin's grip slowly released. "It's good to be home."

"Mein Gott, how I hate this place."

Misato sighed and nodded slowly, as they weaved through the stones littering the Tokyo-3 cemetary, her expression tired.

"I know exactly what you mean, Asuka. Don't worry, I don't think we'll be long."

Misato wore a grim expression as they continued on through the garden of stone and death, determination the only thing keeping her from giving up on the entire trip and heading home to help her wayward charge settle back in. She hadn't drank anything that day, believing that doing something like what they were planning while even the slightest bit tipsy would have verged on sacreligious. On any other day, Misato would have gotten a laugh out of the idea of worrying over sacriledge, but now wasn't the time for laughter. They were here for a reason, a task that needed, that demanded, to be performed, and damnit, she was going to follow through with it.

After a few minutes of walking, both women stopped before a simple stone marker, gazing at it with a mix of sadness and relief. The marker held a simple epitaph, reading the following in plain, neat engraved kanji:

IKARI SHINJI

B. 2000 D. 2014

HERO OF THE ANGEL WARS

TREASURED FRIEND

And below that, a sloppier, more worn bit of text:

_DEVOTED SON_

Misato bit back a sob as she read the last line, tears threatening. She had engraved the last line herself, the very night they held the ceremony. Red-eyed and near-hysterical, she found her way to the grave, and under a moonless sky, scraped out the message with a small penknife. The hard stone dulled and later snapped the knife's blade, but it didn't matter to her then. To her, one of the things that needed to be said for all to know, the one thing that helped define the boy, was the one thing left largely unsaid in life, and she'd be damned if she would let it remain unsaid in his death.

Misato breathed a heavy sigh, wiping her eyes to ward off the tears that were coming, and looked to Asuka, who was brandishing a heavy, brutal-looking sledgehammer.

"Do you want the first swing, or should I?" Asuka asked, hefting the instrument of destruction in her hand.

Misato gave a small, grim smile and nodded. "Go nuts, Asuka. Don't stop until it's rubble."

As Misato watched Asuka lift the hammer above her head for the first strike, memories came back to her, memories of That Day. She remembered how the entire bridge crew had shown up, how Makoto and Shigeru had bowed their heads out of respect for the fallen warrior, how Maya had tried to fight back tears to no avail, sobbing heavily the entire time. Even Subcommander Fuyutsuki had shown up, his expression stoic the entire time, but still grieved. His friends had shown up too, their mischievous grins and leering eyes replaced with pain as the finality of the event sunk in. She remembered how Kensuke tried to get a shot of the assemblage there on his camcorder, and how Toji had knocked it out of his hand with such authority, such violence promised in his glare, his threat of making the boy eat the camera if he tried to do it again. Toji might not have cried that day, Misato figured, but she knew the young pilot's death had shook his world to the core. She remembered seeing Hikari there as well, crying even more than Maya, and how he held her so closely, and thought more than once that she was probably supporting him, helping him keep it together, more than he was helping her.

Of course, then there was Asuka and Rei, who with the exception of the then-Major, stayed there the longest, both of them silent as they stood at the tombstone as if in vigil. Rei gave no difference in her expression, as far as anyone else could tell, with the exception of silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Asuka didn't cry, she remembered, at least not in front of them, but she did recall quite a few times of how she would turn away, unable to bear the reality of what she was seeing. Looking back, she realized that of all those present, they were probably the most affected. Regardless of how well he was liked by either of them, they had to give him respect of how well he piloted, and how he gave of himself without care. His last act to them, so they all thought, was to lead the charge against the Angel, an act he paid dearly for.

Misato thought back on all the nights since That Day, all the exhausting nightmares that had gripped her so tightly she would wake up screaming just to escape them, and knew that the worst of them all couldn't compare to That Day.

Misato sighed as the stream of memories dried up, slowing to a trickle and then stopping as Asuka finished swinging at the headstone's remnants. Not much remained now, the largest chunk of stone in the pile not much more than the size of a 50 yen coin. Asuka turned to the Colonel, a tired smile on her face.

"Rubble enough for you?" Asuka asked with a light pant, her auburn hair sticking lightly to her face.

"It'll do," Misato said with a smile as she took the sledgehammer from her, giving the pile one more swing for good measure. She dropped the sledgehammer aside and turned to the younger woman, motioning toward where they left the Alpine.

"Come on, we got a party to plan and a young man at home to tease."

"You mean **boy**," Asuka corrected with a smile of her own as they headed back for the car.

Shinji breathed a sigh as he tied up the last of the trash bags. The act was not uncommon at all for the young pilot; in fact, considering his luck at jan-ken-po, trash detail was something he was quite used to, as with the rest of the household chores. But there lay a difference between everyday cleanup at the Katsuragi/Sohryu/Ikari apartment and cleanup of the same after one of his guardian's notorious parties. With everyday cleaning, the messes usually focused in the kitchen, with trifling amounts in the living room. There was, of course, Asuka's and Misato's rooms as well, but he never had to clean them. The former because of the threat of bodily harm if he so much as set foot in there, the latter because of the sheer volume and severity of the mess within, mixed with Misato's distaste for order.

Messes after parties, on the other hand, seemed almost like pandemic illnesses in how they spread, between the leftover bits of snacks, the dirt and mud that somehow inevitably made its way in, the spatterings of cigarette butts found in various dirty dishes scattered around the house, andthe ever-present collection of empty beer cans littered all over every inch of the slightly-cramped space he called home. And to the fastidious young charge, this particular illness only had one sure-fire treatment: hours upon hours of his time cleaning, mixed with a good deal of vigilence on his part to catch the stray bits that always seemed to gather in the unlikeliest of places.

After setting the last of the filled bags on the balcony to be taken out in the morning, Shinji breathed a sigh, absently brushing aside the long steel-tinted lock of hair that fell in front of his face as he inspected his work. While not to his normal standards, nodded in approval. _It'll do until tomorrow_, he thought to himself as he fought back a yawn. _It's getting late, and at least no one'll have to watch their step in the morning._ A slight shuffling noise behind the couch perked the boy's

ears suddenly, and as he rounded the sofa, he realized he had one more task before he could sleep: see that his guardian made it back to her room, as he found her lying there passed out, snoring lightly while clutching a half-empty can of Yebisu.

Having seen Misato in similar states in the past (as well as having an idea of just how much she"celebrated" that night), Shinji knew that Misato wouldn't make it back to her room without his help, as when she drank that heavily, she became hard to awaken and nearly impossible to move. Or, at least, she was seven years ago, when he last helped her to her room after one of her parties.

Shinji bent down slowly, carefully sliding his arms under his guardian as to not wake her before hefting her up with a small grunt. _I remember her being heavier_, he thought to himself idly when he noticed that not only did she still have her grip on her Yebisu, but hadn't even spilled a drop. A slight smile crossed his lips as he thought to himself, _Some things never change._ It was then that he felt her stir slightly, opening her eyes with an almost child-like confusion as she looked around, before her eyes found his, and a soft, lazy smile replaced her look of confusion.

"Shin-chan," Misato half-mumbled as she recognized him, her head nuzzling closer to his chest as he carried her toward her room. "I didn't think you had it in you to take me to bed like this...bold move." She giggled lightly as the young Ikari's cheeks flooded crimson. "Still so fun to tease....my Shin-chan."

"...Please don't say things like that," Shinji replied quietly as he manuvered his way through the doorway to her room, carefully minding her head as he entered as well as the mess in the room on his way to her bed. Easing her down gently, he smiled lightly as she reflexively curled up. "Sleep well, Misato-san." He took only a second more to cover her up before heading for the door.

"Shinji?" The boy turned around to face Misato as her head poked up a bit. "...Welcome home, Shinji-kun. We missed you."

Shinji smiled, his tired cobalt eyes finding a bit of spark despite the late hour. "It's good to be home, Misato-san. I missed you all too." And with that, he left her room, closing the door behind him. Misato smiled as sleep creeped in on her, still remembering her young charge's smiling face. Her last thought before sleep claimed her fully centered on his eyes as he smiled. _I might just have to watch myself around him from now on after all,_ Misato thought. _There's something in those eyes of his that are just a bit more dangerous than I like._

"BAKA!! Where's breakfast?!"

Shinji groaned softly as the banging on his door grew louder, reluctantly pulling him up from his bed. He glanced at his alarm clock, its reading eliciting another, deeper groan from the young man. He had been lucky the past couple of mornings, as both women had left him alone, not accustomed to him being in the apartment. The fact that he was a morning person helped as well, as he usually awoke before the two women anyway. It seemed today, though, that Shinji's luck had run out.

"BAKA! I won't ask again!!"

"Hai, hai....I'm awake," he answered as he dragged himself toward his recently-filled closet. He rubbed the rest of the sleep from his eyes as the assault on his door finally ceased.

"Then answer when I call you, damnit! Hurry up and get out here, we've got a lot to do today."

Shinji winced as he remembered exactly what she alluded to. _The synch tests,_ he thought, mentally groaning as he picked out something to wear.

"Can you believe the nerve of that boy? I mean here we are, sitting out here starving, waiting on him, and he's sleeping in, taking his sweet time!"

Misato rolled her eyes in amusement, a hint of a smile quirking on her lips as she listened idly to Asuka's latest tirade while enjoying her favorite breakfast: hair of the dog that bit her. She usually just tuned out the younger woman, as these kinds of rants occurred fairly often, but considering the topic of discussion, Misato thought it better to try to cut it short, knowing just why Shinji had slept in.

"Aw, ease up on him some, Asuka. We don't need to be at NERV until 10, and besides, he was up late straightening up."

Asuka let out an exasperated "hmph" as she sat down, crossing her arms. Inside, though, her aggression for her fellow pilot began to fade. After all, Asuka had cleaned up after a few parties herself, and from what the apartment looked like last night, and how it looked at least acceptable now, she figured that Shinji had been up until the wee hours of the morning getting the apartment that way. Her train of thought derailed, though, when he rushed into the kitchen, getting out what was needed with an animated, almost confident skill that hadn't faded a bit during his seven-year-long nap.

Within minutes, Shinji had already made Pen-Pen his breakfast and was working on his roommates'. Shinji set Pen-Pen's plate down just as the warm-water penguin emerged from his freezer, and noticing the food, began tearing into it ravenously, causing Shinji to gaze on in mild shock.

"What's with Pen-Pen? I've never seen him like this before."

Asuka shook her head with a chuckle. "He's been having to live off of instant and curry," she replied simply.

Shinji's expression of shock turned to that of horror, his eyes widening as he paled lightly. "Y-you mean...he's been eating Misato-san's cooking?" Misato bristled slightly at the criticism of her cooking while Asuka merely grinned and nodded. Shinji kneeled down to face Pen-Pen as he finished his breakfast, his eyes averted from the penguin's. "I'm sorry, Pen-Pen," Shinji said meekly as he wrapped the full penguin in a hug. "Can you forgive me?"

Pen-Pen thought a bit as the young Ikari finally released his hold. "Wark wark wark wark, wark wark wark waaark," Pen-Pen replied. (Translation: "Not just yet, but you're off to a damned good start.") Shinji scrambled away as Misato flung her empty Yebisu can at him, her irritation fueld his less-than-kind critique of her cooking and Asuka's poor attempts to hide her amusement. Pen-Pen waddled his way toward his freezer as the mingling of noises from Asuka's laughter, Shinji's frantic apologies, empty cans clanking against various surfaces, and Misato's cries of "Stand still, damn you!" grew. _He's still got it,_ Pen-Pen thought as he escaped the noise. _Was that beer-battered I tasted? ...That boy is an ARTISTE._ Pen-Pen smiled as he curled up for a mid-morning nap, the calamity outside barely audible.


End file.
